Paulsboro residents rally for post office reopening

PAULSBORO — Residents here who fear the borough post office won’t reopen are circulating a petition that may have encouraged the United State Postal Service (USPS) to speed up the process.

In October, flood damage prompted the temporary closure of the North Delaware Street building. Though the water did not surpass the basement, USPS spokesman Ray Daiutolo Sr. said officials at the post office branch thought it was wise to close until further notice. Residents were directed to the Gibbstown location.

“We don’t want to take any chances,” Daiutolo said in October, adding that closing was important to preserve the integrity and environment of the building.

In November, Daiutolo said the water table was still very high and no repairs could be made.

Concerned that the post office remained closed, several borough residents took the matter into their own hands and began circulating a petition at the January 3 borough reorganization meeting. Within two weeks, more than 300 people had signed the document.

The petition was sent to the Postmaster General and several legislators, prompting U.S. Senator Robert Menendez’s to contact USPS.

“We are in receipt of your petitions regarding Paulsboro’s post office, and today I did speak with a representative from USPS,” said Menendez’ spokesman Richard Locklear in an e-mail sent to Paulsboro Clerk Kathy VanScoy on Tuesday. “USPS assures us they are working on this problem and will re-open as soon as possible. They also stated that at this time there are no plans to permanently close the facility in Paulsboro.”

“We want our post office open with complete service, like it was before,” said Jeanne Giampola, one of the residents who spearheaded the petition.

Now that service has been switched to the Gibbstown branch, Giampola said Paulsboro residents must retrieve their mail from there. The carriers once stationed at the Paulsboro office will indefinitely start and end their workdays in Gibbstown, which Giampola said was another important reason to get the petition signed.

“Our postmen, they were like family,” she said. “Paulsboro thinks everybody’s part of the family, and they joined in that philosophy.”

Though on Friday the USPS said there is still water in the building and they “are unable to perform the work that needs to be done to correct this issue,” — evidence the petition might have gotten things to move along more quickly.

Giampola said though she’s happy to hear that Menendez’s office has gotten involved — “At least it caused some action,” she said — she hopes more will happen.

“They did nothing until they heard about the petition,” she said. “I think it’s [the petition] waking people up to the problem, because I don’t think they were aware of it. Paulsboro is a very persistent, working town, and they will not be happy until they have their post office back.”